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19th Century Silvered Bronze Athénienne Jardinière by Ferdinand Barbedienne

About the Item

A French silvered-bronze athénienne by Ferdinand Barbedienne, Paris, last quarter 19th century with a revolving liner, the frieze applied with bucrania suspending ribbon-tied berried laurel swags above a border of bellflowers on a stippled ground above three seated female sphinxes issuing stylised foliage and scrolls on lion monopodia cast with the mask of Hercules, scrolling foliage and anthemions joined by stretchers, raised on a concave-sided triform marble base on a further thin silvered-bronze base, inscribed to the tripod base 'F. BARBEDIENNE' Measures: 103.3cm. high, 41.5cm. diameter; 3ft. 4 3/8 in, 1ft. 4 1/4. This impressive athénienne is a key reminder of the longevity of a particular model and design’s success from Antiquity through to the 19th century and up until this day. Typically known as the ‘Trépied du Temple d’Isis’, this athénienne is designed after the Roman antique originally found at Pompeii and now at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples (fig.1). From being for example an inspiration for the baptismal font of Napoléon’s son in 1811, this model was the inspiration to many highly skilled makers throughout the 19thcentury such as the Manfredini brothers from Milan and of course the Parisian well-established bronze founder Ferdinand Barbedienne who executed the present example. The Temple of Isis was a Roman temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis and was among one of the first discoveries during the excavation of Pompeii in 1764. Certainly considered as one of the most elegant examples of antique tripods, the existence of this model was then popularized to the rest of Europe via prints, one of the first being by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in 1779. This type of tripod was also popularised by an engraving in C. Percier and P. Fontaine’s, Receuil de Décorations Intérieures of 1801. Interestingly, there is also a watercolour now in the Musée Carnavalet, Paris, showing this type of tripod displayed at the 1801 Exposition des Produits de L’Industrie in the Louvre. The passion for Greek and Roman Art in the 19th century. The discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum around the middle of the 18th century gave rise to a new passion for Antiquity and the excavated masterpieces renewed the repertoire of fine and decorative arts and served as models for Neoclassicism. Members of the aristocracy as well as connoisseurs, particularly in England, completed their education by undertaking a ‘Grand Tour’ of Italy and often fell victim to the recently unearthed Greek and Roman artefacts like the tripod from the Temple of Isis. Throughout the history of Western Art, successive styles have always alternated between periods of attraction to Antiquity (Renaissance, Classicism, Neoclassicism, Empire, Art Deco) and rejection and challenge of Antiquity (Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, Art Nouveau). These cyclical returns of Antiquity are clear and with them came the envy of people at different times and in places so far apart to decorate their interiors with testimonies of a past so remote. Because of the lack of available Antique artifacts, amateurs appreciated reproductions of the celebrated masterpieces of Antiquity, which had become the standard for ideal and unsurpassed beauty. The 19th century from the Manfredini brothers in the early 19th century to Ferdinand Barbedienne in the late 19th century saw the success of this model endure. Related examples in comparison to the present have been recorded in public and private collections, thus testifying to the ongoing fascination of collectors to engage with this model: It is worthwhile considering a sixth athénienne in the State Bedchamber at Pavlovsk Palace, St. Petersburg, with a lapis lazuli frieze and base surmounted by a marble top (ill. Ed. A. Koutchoumov, Pavlovsk, Le Palais et le Parc, St. Petersburg, Leningrad, 1976, pp. 78-79.) Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) Having established one of France's most important foundries in 1839, Ferdinand Barbedienne excelled at the masterly art of reproducing both French and Italian Renaissance sculpture. Working for many years in collaboration with the inventor Achille Collas, Barbedienne produced bronze reductions of sculptures from the Antique using a pioneering technique that allowed him to reduce works of art to any size using a simple mathematical calculation. However, the diversity of his production was even more substantial, as his entry to the 1867 Paris Exhibition clearly testifie. Paris - Artistic bronzes; mantelpiece sets; chandeliers; statues; groups; artistic furniture; articles in sculptured wood and marble; articles in chased silver and repoussé gold; cloisonné enamels. The high regard to which Barbedienne was undeniably held was formally recognized in 1850 when he was commissioned to furnish the Paris Town Hall. He received the médaille d'honneur for his efforts, presented to him at the Paris World Exhibition in 1855. A decade after this award, he was made the President of the Reunion of Bronze Makers, a post he held until 1885 and a testament to the lifelong dedication he contributed to his craft.
  • Creator:
    Ferdinand Barbedienne (Maker)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 40.56 in (103 cm)Diameter: 16.34 in (41.5 cm)
  • Style:
    Grand Tour (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Bronze,Marble,Silver Plate
  • Place of Origin:
    France
  • Period:
    19th Century
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1860
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Oxfordshire, GB
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU4936227272632

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